Fitting Lockers

[thehanko]

OK,

So after much reading about arb lockers and potential problems with incorrect install im considering paying someone to do the work for me as I dont want to stuff up preload etc.

So I have 2 sets of diffs.

My daily driver which is open front and lsd rear 4.3 ratio.

looks like the front bearing in the rear diff is loose as a result it has play and as such the pinion seal is leaking.

My locked diffs are a different ratio which I dont think will suit for my daily driver.

So I want to put the lockers in my daily diffs.

Have been quoted $330 per diff to take the center of the locker apart and re fit it into my 4.3 housing. if i remove the diffs from the truck. which seems quite reasonable.

But he wants a further $440 to replace front and rear bearings in that rear diff while hes at it. which seems alot considering hes already in there.

Is this reasonable? or is it simple enough that I should just do it myself.

Have you fitted or swapped your own diffs?

I am capable with tools, but have never touched diff centers.

My haynes manual doesnt describe setting preload (just says go find a service center ) etc and was basically not much help.

Looking at using bears in st marys, they did a commodore diff for me before and was happy with their work.

[berad]

Pull the 3rd members out and take them somewhere, will cost a heap less and rebuild them/adj will their there.

For arguments sake i run 4.88's with 31s on road. and its fine. 3000-3050 is 100 on my gps not my speedo ( if thats what your worried about ratio wise for road use)

I wouldnt muck around with preload/lash etc, hilux centres are good though, cause you can pull the centre out and so long as you dont disturb the pin that holds all that adjustment it will go back in without messing with preload etc, the pinion crush tube is another one i wouldnt mess with unless you know what your doing

Its catch 22 with replacement of the bearings, it is a little excessive but not the same price as it would cost just to change the bearings, cost me 350-400 to rebuild one 3rd member and that was taking it out and giving it to them but my gears were worn so needed readjustment etc.

I've played with my air locker to rebuild it the centre and its working 100%, but i wouldnt replace the pinion bearing, readjust the lash my self.

[joeblow]

440 does seem a little steep but you have to remember that by changing bearings its not the pre-load you should be overly concerned about but pinion heights and pattern. this procedure can sometimes take more than a day in itself. a good shop will get this spot on, a dodgy one won't which will lead to early failure.

[fester2au]

I was quoted this week $310 to do the labour work on rebuilding/setting up my 80 series diff with me supplying the bearing kit which is somewhere between $160-$200 so if your price includes the bearing/seal kit it doesn't look too bad.

[djroberts]

if you have access to a press with bearing pullers it will make your life much easier.

any factory Toyota manual should explain in detail how to set up tooth contact and bearing preload.

[thehanko]

if you have access to a press with bearing pullers it will make your life much easier.

any factory Toyota manual should explain in detail how to set up tooth contact and bearing preload.

dude i dont even have a shed let alone a press. I just make do on the driveway until i get the shed designed and built.

so do i pull the centers out and take that to the guy? or the entire diff and axles etc?

so apart from getting the seals and bearings done is there anything else i may as well do while hes in there?

we will probably put the front diff in the rear as it will be newer.

He also said he might not need to do the bearings he can tell me when hes got it open.

one other thing my front diff with the locker is in a different housing, will this complicate life at all? something about being higher pinion or something.

[+dj_hansen+]

To get an idea on how long it can take to setup a centre properly... have a look here http://www.gearinstalls.com/ it also by chance runs through several toyota gear setups

If your in sydney, i know dumbdunce has suggested to a few people he can help them out, best to get in touch with him. Atleast if you go to a workshop you will get some sort of warranty, consider it cheap insurance i spose (not suggesting dumbdunce does dodgy work in anyway shape or form).

[thehanko]

To get an idea on how long it can take to setup a centre properly... have a look here http://www.gearinstalls.com/ it also by chance runs through several toyota gear setups

If your in sydney, i know dumbdunce has suggested to a few people he can help them out, best to get in touch with him. Atleast if you go to a workshop you will get some sort of warranty, consider it cheap insurance i spose (not suggesting dumbdunce does dodgy work in anyway shape or form).

SO yeah after reading up a bit on that I think we can say case closed, if im not happy with the current ratios then I will get a specialist to fit them into my gear sets.

still curious as to if I just take the centers or the entire diff to the specialist.

Thanks

[joel HJ60]

Have you thought about solid spacer vs crush?

[thehanko]

Have you thought about solid spacer vs crush?

nope

[joel HJ60]

I'm pretty sure there is a good thread regarding these.

As usual Dumbdunce knows what's going on.
http://www.outerlimits4x4.com/ftopic148 ... lid+spacer

[+dj_hansen+]

still curious as to if I just take the centers or the entire diff to the specialist.

Thanks

Depends if you like reallllly like playing around with gear-oil. Removing the centre will involve taking out axles which involves pulling apart hubs and wheel bearings.

If you have never done it before, allow yourself a weekend just in case, and get a copy of a gregory's manual.

[dumbdunce]

pm sent

ok I just read your original message again, but still not sure exactly what you expect to drive away with - see if I've got it straight:

lockers removed from one pair of diffs, and installed in another pair of diffs, and the open centres left over installed and set up so you have 4 working diffs at the end of it?

was $330 per diff or per swap or for the whole lot? it's a good price for a swap.

[thehanko]

330 was puttin a locker into a diff, then leaving the other diff in bits.

[fester2au]

still curious as to if I just take the centers or the entire diff to the specialist.

Thanks

Depends if you like reallllly like playing around with gear-oil. Removing the centre will involve taking out axles which involves pulling apart hubs and wheel bearings.

If you have never done it before, allow yourself a weekend just in case, and get a copy of a gregory's manual.

I just pulled mine the other day, never worked on 4wd diffs before. Pulling the axles and then dropping the centre out is not much more than a couple of hours and I din't haveany special tools.

Put it this way, I expect the pricing you got was just for the centre work, check what he's charging per hour and add a couple of those hours for him to pull donw and put back together and decide if you're happy with that cost compared to if you can do it yourself and have a few hours to spare.

[thehanko]

still curious as to if I just take the centers or the entire diff to the specialist.

Thanks

Depends if you like reallllly like playing around with gear-oil. Removing the centre will involve taking out axles which involves pulling apart hubs and wheel bearings.

If you have never done it before, allow yourself a weekend just in case, and get a copy of a gregory's manual.

I just pulled mine the other day, never worked on 4wd diffs before. Pulling the axles and then dropping the centre out is not much more than a couple of hours and I din't haveany special tools.

Put it this way, I expect the pricing you got was just for the centre work, check what he's charging per hour and add a couple of those hours for him to pull donw and put back together and decide if you're happy with that cost compared to if you can do it yourself and have a few hours to spare.

I can pull a hub down and remove and axle pretty quick so thats not an issue.

I have worked out what the ratio is on the locked diffs, they seem to be 4.88:1.

I turned the wheel more than 1 revolution in order to minimise slight inaccuracys in final drive shaft position.

But let me get this right, with 1 wheel only raised I can turn the wheel 4 times and have the drive shaft turn 9.75 times.

ok so double the 9.75 as on one wheel was turning. 2 x 9.75 = 19.5

19.5 / 4 wheel turns = 4.875 approx. i.e 4.88

At the moment I sit on 2500 at 100km /hr on 4.3's

so 4.88/4.30 = 1.1345

1.1345 x 2500 is 2835 rpm at 100. hmm probably not too bad.

if i get my next set of road tyres as 33's then (current 32's) then it ould bring it back to 2700.

I think at first I will try it out just swapping the entire diff. drive it for a month and see how it goes.

[dumbdunce]

19.5 / 4 wheel turns = 4.875 approx. i.e 4.88

that's some accurate wheel turning there, 4.88's are actually 4.875 ( 39 tooth crownwheel and 8 tooth pinion).

[thehanko]

19.5 / 4 wheel turns = 4.875 approx. i.e 4.88

that's some accurate wheel turning there, 4.88's are actually 4.875 ( 39 tooth crownwheel and 8 tooth pinion).

so my methodology is ok then, cheers

[dumbdunce]

19.5 / 4 wheel turns = 4.875 approx. i.e 4.88

that's some accurate wheel turning there, 4.88's are actually 4.875 ( 39 tooth crownwheel and 8 tooth pinion).

so my methodology is ok then, cheers

or you're extraordinarily lucky.